


This Charming Man

by andresbluegay, fxrbxn



Category: Avatar: The Last Airbender
Genre: Alternate Universe, Bad English, Bisexual Sokka (Avatar), Canon-Typical Violence, Everyone Is Gay, Fluff and Humor, Inspired by Tangled (2010), M/M, Mutual Pining, Nonbinary Toph Beifong, Other Additional Tags to Be Added, Ozai (Avatar) Being a Terrible Parent, Ozai (Avatar) is an Asshole, Zuko is an Awkward Turtleduck, bc i havent seen one yet, but with the sun, yes like yue, zukka - Freeform, zuko is the fucking sun
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-10-20
Updated: 2021-01-11
Packaged: 2021-03-09 04:54:30
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 5
Words: 11,474
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27068968
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/andresbluegay/pseuds/andresbluegay, https://archiveofourown.org/users/fxrbxn/pseuds/fxrbxn
Summary: When Zuko was born thanks to the sun spirit everyone celebrated it, not for long though. It has been 16 years since Prince Zuko has disappeared, and the only thing they can do about it is to have hope.That, or a Zukka Tangled Au.(Title from the song of The Smiths)
Relationships: Minor or Background Relationship(s), Sokka/Zuko (Avatar)
Comments: 31
Kudos: 122





	1. Introduction.

**Author's Note:**

> Heyy, so,,, this is my first fic in English, and I'm so, SO sorry if it's broken. I really loved the idea of a Zukka Tangled AU, so I decided to write it! (btw I haven't seen tangles in centuries so it won't be exactly like the movie). Hope you like it !!!!

This is the story of how I died. 

Haha, gotcha! I'm just joking! I didn't actually die in this story. This is actually a really fun story, and it isn’t even mine! 

This is the story of a boy named Zuko. 

And it starts in the kingdom of Moeruhi, which was ruled by a feared king and adored queen. Everything was going well, especially once King Ozai announced that Queen Ursa was pregnant. However, tragedy struck a few months after the announcement. 

Queen Ursa got very sick and nothing the royal doctors did could heal her. Knowing she was going to die soon, she begged for help from the spirit of the sun, Agni. And Agni helped her, but consequences are inevitable. In exchange, they needed her life, so they could see that her love for the child was real. Ursa, knowing her fate was already set either way, accepted. Zuko was born with golden eyes, silky orange hair, and a sun marked on his left cheek. King Ozai was ashamed of the little prince and blamed him for the death of his wife. “He was weak even before being born. With him as my legacy, I prefer to resign from my position.”

He left one night, leaving the newborn alone with his uncle, who was now king. They quickly learned that Zuko could heal as soon as he was a few weeks old. All the scars and wrinkles his uncle had disappeared after the baby touched his face while they were listening to a song. Everyone in and out of the kingdom found out and it was the greatest news the world had heard since Princess Yue. People of all kingdoms came to the prince asking for help. King Iroh received them with the child in his arms, healing everyone who needed it. Prince Zuko at two months old gave more harmony to the kingdom than Ozai ever did. To celebrate, the kingdom launched flying lanterns into the sky and for a moment everything was perfect. 

But not everything could always stay perfect. Some people like to take advantage of others.  
It was a moonless night when the child marked by the sun was stolen by his father. Originally, Ozai just wanted a strip of the “magical hair” Zuko possessed. But, it turned dark as soon as it was cut. Thinking the magical properties were stripped away, he stole Zuko. It was an enormous loss for everybody in the kingdom of Moeruhi and without the prince, it lost its peace and happiness. They looked for him for months, but he was never found. 

Ozai took Zuko deep within the forest, and inside a hidden tower. There, he raised Zuko and kept him away from the outside world. But the walls weren’t able to hide everything. Each year the kingdom released hundreds of lanterns into the sky. Every year on his birthday, Zuko watched them lit up the sky, in hope that one day he would be able to see them up close.


	2. First Contact

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Reposting becase a good firend of mine (@fxrbxn on Twitter, go folow her!) is helping me now wtih the writing! Im in love with how this came out <3333333333

“Momo, do you think father will let me go outside to see the floating lights this year?” Zuko asked Momo while he was getting dressed. A pair of dark jeans, a red v-neck shirt, and a belt. Pretty much the only colors that he dressed with were black and red.

Momo looked at him skeptically. He was a little white lemur with large green eyes. He appeared at his window a few years ago when Zuko was 13. Ozai, Zuko's father, let him keep it so he wouldn't feel so lonely.

s “Yeah, you're right, he wouldn't.” He opened the window and took a deep breath of the fresh air. “I know he does it for my own good, but I feel like the lights...they are calling to me somehow.” Letting a long sigh, he turned around, looking for an empty wall to put his feelings on. He ran across the room

to grab his box of paints and brushes and ran back to the space on the wall. “He will be back in a few hours, I will ask him then, I have nothing to lose!” And an enthusiastic smile was drawn on his face. 

After a few hours of painting, Zuko was satisfied with the work. It was a drawing of him, sitting outside, in the middle of the mountains, looking at the lights. He deemed it a good painting and started to store his supplies away. Suddenly, he heard someone call his name outside the tower, who he supposed was Ozai.

“Zuko! It's me, father! I found one of those hypercaloric buns that you like so much. Be quick with letting that rope go down!” Zuko quickly drew the curtains in front of his drawing and cleaned himself from the paint while grabbing the big rope that he had near the window. 

“I am on my way!” And as his father told him, he threw the rope out of the window and pulled the rope until his father was sitting on the window. It was a struggle like always. Getting his father up the rope had never been easy.

“Spirits, Zuko, I can't get how you do that every single day. It looks so hard!” Ozai left his bag in a chair and took out his hood. Zuko smiled at that comment.

“Oh, it's nothing.” 

“Then I don’t get why you take so long!” And Zuko’s smile wasn't there anymore. Ozai noticed this “Joking!”, he added quickly. He was not.

He went to a mirror and started looking at himself. Zuko followed him. He was nervous. Zuko knew his father did not like it when he talked about going outside. He tried to breathe in and out and then opened his mouth to say something.

“Father, you know-”

But Ozai shushed him before he had the chance to say another word.

“Before asking for anything stupid, help me with this.” He pointed at his face and then offered Zuko one of the cinnamon rolls. The smell gave him a nostalgic feeling.

Zuko nodded and grabbed a cinnamon roll and took a bite out of it. It was delicious as usual. It made him happy. Every time he had one of those, it brought him a dream he remembered so well. In the dream, there was a little kid, who Zuko guessed was himself because they shared the same hair. There was also an old man. He had a big white beard and a smile on his face. The man gave Zuko a cinnamon roll while he was taking a sip of jasmine tea. And then the dream faded away. He couldn't remember much more about it, but the feeling of nostalgia always felt so vivid afterward.

Zuko ate the roll in small bites and started humming the melody that he needed if he wanted to rejuvenate his father. He didn’t remember the lyrics well, so it was difficult for him to ‘activate’ those healing powers. To make it efficient, he needed to feel happy, and that’s what the cinnamon rolls were for. Or at least that was what the theory that Zuko had come up with said. Everyone would think after almost sixteen years of having these weird powers he would know how they work, but that was not the case.

Zuko sensed how his scar and his hands heated and started glowing and touched his father's face. His long hair glowing a bright yellow as he hummed. When Zuko was younger his father used to wait for Zuko to glow by himself, not giving him any of the rolls. Now it's always as soon as possible, and he just said or gave something nice to Zuko because he knows that that would make him happy. Zuko realized that his father didn't want him to be happy if Zuko would not sing after, but it’s an honorable thing to do. He can’t just expect his father to give him what he needs if Zuko will give nothing back.

Maybe if he did everything right, there would be a higher chance that his father would let him go out for one night. And Ozai was happy with the result, Zuko could tell. He looked easily 10 years younger. His gray hairs disappeared, all his wrinkles were gone, and he had perfect skin. That was a good thing, Zuko thought.

Zuko was excited and anxious at the same time. What if father let him go outside? Father said that outside people were selfish and evil. What if they hurt him? Maybe he should stay inside forever. No, he decided earlier to ask him. The worst thing Ozai could do was, well, Zuko didn’t know, but he hoped that it wasn't as bad as the last time. He walked back to where his most recent painting was and was about to draw the curtain open.

“Father,” his voice broke and wavered. Zuko was nervous, and it was normal. The last time that he asked about going out, it didn't end well. He moved his hand away from the curtain, doubting himself.

“Yes, Zuko?” said Ozai, still looking carefully at his face in the mirror with a smirk on his face. “Come here,” he said without looking away. He looked to be in a good mood and Zuko brought his confidence up again. Zuko went to where Ozai was. “Father, as you know, tomorrow is a very big day-”

“Zuko, look in that mirror.” Ozai interrupted, then put a hand on Zuko’s shoulder. “You know what I see? I see an honorable, confident, handsome young man” Zuko smiled. It looked like father was in a great mood! “Oh, look you are here too” Ozai’s face burst in laughter. That left Zuko with a sour taste in his mouth. He didn’t always like his father’s teasing, but he couldn’t expect him to be nice all the time, right?

“I, uh, as-as I was saying, tomorrow is a very big day, and you didn’t respond, so, uh, it's my birthday!”

The smile that was left on Ozai’s disappeared as soon as Zuko said the word ‘birthday’, forming a scowl even though he was trying to hide it as best as possible. Zuko, on the other hand, panicked and tried to hide behind a chair that was nearby, leaving visible half of his head and his hands that were grabbing the back of the seat. He felt so vulnerable at that moment, and he didn’t know why. He didn’t even ask for anything yet.

“Oh no no no, can’t be. I distinctly remember. Your birthday was last year.” Even though Ozai was smiling while saying that, Zuko could feel perfectly that he was annoyed. 

“That’s the funny thing about birthdays! They are kind of an annual thing…” Zuko sat down on the floor near the chair, hugged his feet, and started playing with his hair. “Father, I'm turning 16 this year, and well, uh what I really want for this birthday is, ah, actually I’ve been wanting this for a few years, and I-” Zuko lowered his volume and stopped vocalizing some words.

“Zuko! Stop with the mumbling! You know how I feel about that, it’s annoying.” Ozai shouted, making Zuko stop.

“I’m sorry father,” Zuko looked now sad. Momo appeared under the chair and moved his head while smiling, encouraging Zuko to ask the big question. Zuko looked at his hands, looked at the curtains hiding his painting.

“I want to see the floating lights!” he shouted confidently. Ozai, who was now in the direction of the kitchen, stopped walking.

“What?” And turned around to see Zuko walking and revealing the new painting that he did a few hours before.

“I hoped that, uh, maybe you could take me to see the floating lanterns. It’s something that I have been dreaming about since always!”

“Oh, you mean the stars? I thought we cleared this up years ago, Zuko.” Ozai said with a derogative tone.

“I have been observing how stars work, and those lights…they just appear the day of my birthday. Like, as if they were meant for me. Please father, it's all-”

“Zuko…” he said, sounding irritated. He tried to make him stop talking, but Zuko kept on going.

“Just hear me out! The stars have like some kind of cycle, but these lights… They appear on the day of my birthday and then disappear until the next year. A-and maybe-”

“Oh, Zuko…” He started laughing “Spirits, you make splendid jokes.” In response to that, Zuko's face grew in confusion. “Don’t tell me you said that seriously. Look at you, so weak! Everyone out there will use you in their favor, and then what?”

Ozai looked directly at Zuko's eyes, closed the windows. The room would be completely dark if it wasn't because of some sunlight that escaped through the wooden windows. While Zuko was trying to adapt to the lack of light Ozai walked silently after him and covered his good eye. Zuko flinched and stumbled backward into his father’s figure. Some blurry dark figures were everything that Zuko could see. Zuko got tense, he could feel his heartbeat growing faster, his eyes got wet and just a few seconds felt like an eternity. Without putting his hand down, Ozai went near Zuko’s bad ear and whispered.

“What’s a half-deaf, half-blind boy like you going to do out there?” Zuko didn't hear that well, but he didn't ask. Then Ozai moved his head to his other ear “Do you really think that you can take care of yourself? Please, don’t make me laugh.” Ozai finally took his hand from Zuko’s face, revealing his face of disgust. Ozai turned around suddenly and went to take a candle and a match, making a fire with it.

Anyone could tell that Ozai was irritated by just looking at his face, but when he started talking…he sounded angry. “Out there there are cannibals, thieves, manipulators, and so many horrible people...” Zuko stopped listening and instead looked around his tower.

_ Wow, have my paintings always been so colorful? I improved so much since my first drawing… that one is really pretty; I wonder if father likes any of my paintings. I hope so, I work hard on them. I know that Momo loves them, he even helps me to paint sometimes. I’m glad that I get to keep him. He’s so- _

“Zuko! Agni, just as I said, you never listen when I'm talking to you! And you are so childish, annoying and to be honest you are getting a little fat!” After what Zuko thought was ten, maybe twenty minutes Ozai changed his face from an angry and disgusted face to a tender one. “I‘m sorry about that, I just tell you that because I love you and I don't want you…” He took Zuko’s hands on his own and kissed them “to get hurt just because you think you are more than what you actually are.”

Ozai opened his arms and Zuko went directly to hug him as hard as he could because he desperately wanted comfort from his father and a hug was the best that he was going to get. “Just promise me something” Zuko nodded in his chest. “Don't ever ask to go outside, ever again.”

Zuko looked up and nodded. He mumbled a small “Okay.” 

“Good, now I'm going to go shopping a little.” Zuko stopped hugging him. Ozai took his hood and his basket and waved goodbye as he climbed down the rope. Zuko ran over to the window and watched his father walk away. 

Zuko should’ve seen this coming and he knew this answer was a possibility. That still didn’t make him feel any better. He felt disappointed, seeing the lanterns was...his dream. He always wished he could paint them up close one day. Now, he knew he never could. He reached for his hair tie and let his long hair fall over his face. Feeling overwhelmed, he dropped to the floor and drew his knees together. He buried his head into them and stayed there for a while. Momo came after he started to cry and rested his body on Zuko’s head. After a while, Zuko pulled himself together and grabbed his favorite book, Princess Yue. It would be just him and Momo, like always. But not for too long. Zuko heard someone climbing and went over to the window. That man was not his father! He took the first thing he found in the kitchen, a frying pan. “What do we do?” Zuko asked the lemur, his voice panicky. Momo bickered a bit and shrugged his shoulders.

Then he saw a hand grabbing the window frame.  _ Should I let him fall? No, that would kill him _ . He didn't have much time before seeing a guy, with a wolf tail, brown skin. He was wearing a white shirt with a light blue vest, some brown pants, and something on his feet?? Zuko noticed he also had a satchel. 

“Thought we would never get away! Seems like here we are safe and s-” The stranger stated, but before he had the chance of saying anything else, Zuko banged the pan on his head from behind.

Carefully, Zuko approached the stranger’s limp body on the floor, pan still in hand.

With the pan’s handle, he removed some of the hairs that had fallen from the wolf tail. Up close, Zuko noticed that the guy had freckles on his face. _ If people from outside are evil, why is he pretty? _ Zuko stared at the guy for a few seconds until he realized what he just did. “I-I did that! I just defended myself!” He started jumping and shaking his hands. “Momo, did you see that?!” Zuko looked at the guy on the floor and then at the pan and smirked. “So as I was saying, father. I can defend myself and I don’t need more than a pan… wait, I should hide him, right?” He asked no one in particular, but Momo still nodded in agreement.

After probably half an hour, Zuko finally locked up the stranger in a closet. He proudly looked at himself in the mirror until he saw Momo taking something shiny out of the satchel. Zuko walked over to Momo, who gave him the shiny thing. It was a beautiful tiara, or at least that's what he thought it was. He tried it as a bracelet, but that wasn’t it, maybe a belt or a necklace, but it didn't open anywhere. Momo signed the top of his head. Zuko put it there and looked at himself and. _..that, that was something. _

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hope y'all liked it, because i LOVED it. Kudos and comments are appreciated!  
> @zukkabrainrot and @fxrbxn on twitter


	3. The Blue Bandits

Sokka knew that stealing from the castle was probably going to end badly, but not like  _ this. _ Not only was he carrying Toph on his shoulder,  _ (they were very heavy) _ , but there were about 20 guards after them. Suki and Azula were way ahead of them, as usual. 

“Hurry up, Sokka!” Suki yelled at him as she turned her head. 

“Can’t you see I’m trying over here?” he managed to say, though it was hard when you had a 12-year-old kid on your shoulders and running away from the royal guard. He jumped over a tree root and barely avoided being smacked in the face by one of the branches. 

“Surrender now and we won't hurt you!” a guard from behind yelled at them as they approached. He could hear how the horse's hooves were getting louder and louder.  _ Tui and La, this was a terrible idea.  _

“FUCK OFF!” he heard Toph yell.

“Sokka get over here, I have an idea! Suki, you go ahead!” Azula said as she stopped beside a tree. Sokka was confused, but he complied and stopped beside her. He saw how she was trying to chop off a loose tree trunk. He heard the guards getting closer.

“Um, ‘Zula you might wanna hurry up there-” he said as he looked behind him.

“Maybe if your dumbass helped! I can’t do all the fucking work!” Azula said as she continued to smack her sword on the trunk.

“You guys are hopeless!” Toph said as they kicked the trunk. He and Azula moved out of the way as it fell. 

“Okay, let’s go!” Azula said and started to run away. Sokka followed her, Toph still on his shoulders. He looked back and saw how the guard stopped due to their horses. He snickered and sighed in relief.

* * *

“That was  _ so _ close!” Toph said as they got off Sokka’s shoulders. 

“More than close, I’ll say,” Suki said as she leaned on a tree. She took off her green jacket and tied it along her waist. Azula joined her in resting and sat crossed-legged on the ground. She let her short black hair fall as she took off her hair tie. 

“Maybe if Sokka didn’t stay back to look at the throne room, we would’ve gotten away with no trouble,” Azula said and Sokka stuck his tongue out. Azula's response was to, obviously, give him her middle finger.

“Hey, have some respect for your elders!”

Azula let a cackle out as she started to look in her satchel. She pulled some jewelry out of it and smirked. Sokka was quickly reminded that he actually got something better than that! He smirked and grabbed his satchel. 

“Well, ‘Zula, I got something better than common jewelry! I got this super fancy crown!” he said as he pulled out a golden tiara with red jewels, which he then put on his head to show off.

“Woah, what?” Suki said as she moved closer to him. 

“Yeah, it was just sitting there. The guards were terribly inexperienced,” he said as he took it off and handed it to the others. It wasn’t like he was lying, but the guards were definitely not “inexperienced” as he said they were. He might’ve gotten some bruises he preferred not showing.

“This isn’t a regular crown, I think it's the tiara of the lost prince…” They said as they touched the tiara carefully “that’s pretty impressive, Snoozles! We’ll surely get rich from this!” Toph cackled and threw their fists in the air. They all sat down and started to cool down from the chase. 

Sokka looked around at his friends and smiled. It had always just been them, along with Katara and Aang. After losing both of his parents, he and Katara needed to survive somehow. He turned to the only thing he knew, stealing. He met Toph and Aang, who were 8 at the time, a while after that and it was just the four of them for a long time. They used to steal food in the market and some coins. Normally, Toph started crying, saying to the merchant they lost their parents and couldn’t find them because they were blind, as the merchant was busy trying to help Toph, Sokka grabbed everything he could. That was until Azula and Suki worked with them during a big job and they became friends not that long after that. After Azula and Suki joined, they officially formed "The Blue Bandits". More people joined throughout the years, some of them being friendlier than others. Katara obviously didn’t approve of their way of life, but it kept them alive until she opened her bakery with Aang. He knew he didn’t need to steal anymore, but he also didn’t want to depend on his little sister. Besides, disbanding “The Blue Bandits” was too much of a change for all of them. 

Suki suddenly perked up and went for her satchel, which was left near the tree she leaned on. “Oh, guys! You gotta see this!” she said as she pulled out a wanted poster. It was a drawing of all of them with the title:  _ The Blue Bandits: Wanted Dead or Alive.  _

“Well, it sounds like a sheet of paper,” Toph said as they moved their hand in front of their eyes.

“It’s a wanted poster of us, personally I think Sokka looks great,” Suki said as she giggled and pointed to Sokka.  _ Oh man, I look good- wAIT WHAT IS UP WITH MY NOSE?  _

“Oh no no no no! This is terrible! My nose is all wrong!” he said as he grabbed the poster. Azula laughed along with Suki.

“Well, I think you look great, Snoozles!” Toph said as they “looked” at the poster.

“Aw, thanks- why do you feel the need to do that?” he stuffed the poster inside of his satchel as Toph started to laugh along with the others. The moment was interrupted by the heavy sounds of hooves. 

“Shit, they found us!” Toph exclaimed and got up quickly. Sokka and the others grabbed their respective satchels and they all started running. The path ahead of them was way more cramped than the one before. The trees were thicker, and the roots went all over the ground. Sokka grabbed Toph and put them on his shoulders once more. 

The guards seemed to be more aggressive than before and they were getting closer, _ faster than ever _ . Suddenly, one of them shot an arrow and hit Toph in their arm. He heard them shriek and stopped. “Shit, Toph, are you okay??” he asked them as he put them down. 

“Toph!” Azula said and stopped to help them. Suki did the same. As much as Sokka wanted to help Toph, he was getting progressively worried since the guards were closing on them.

“Surrender and give back what you’ve stolen!” one of the bigger guards yelled.

“You guys, I’m fine! We gotta keep going, or else we are all gonna get caught!” they yelled and pointed one of their fingers in all the wrong directions. Their light green shirt was turning dark red and Sokka did not enjoy the sudden dyeing job. 

“No, we have to split up,” Azula said quickly.

“ _ What!? _ ” they all said collectively. Azula ripped off a part of her red shirt and tied it around Toph’s injury. “It’s the best choice. I’ll grab Toph and you guys go ahead,” she said as she grabbed Toph bridal style. “We’ll meet up at The Flying Bison, go!” she snarled at them. Sokka and Suki looked at each other for a moment before taking off. Sokka looked back and saw how Azula ran in another direction, along with Toph. Losing the guards would not be easy, was it? 

* * *

Sokka and Suki ended up getting split from each other when 4 guards jumped them as they were resting. 3 of the guards went after Suki while only one of them went after Sokka. He quickly got away by jumping from tree to tree until the guard was out of his sight. Sokka stopped to breathe for a second on a wall covered with vines. However, the wall crumbled, and he fell face flat on the ground. 

“Ugh, what the hell?” he asked as he got up. He looked around and saw how the wall was just a cover-up to a cave. _Ooh, I could hide in here for a while._ He thought to himself and continued to walk further into the cave. However, the cave led him out to a small valley. Some mountains hid the beautiful valley, and there was a crystalline lake right in the center. But the most curious part of it was the gigantic tower standing at the back of it. Sokka decided that checking out the tower might not be a bad idea, definitely a good hiding place. Maybe there would be a place where he could sleep for a moment because, in all honesty, he was exhausted. 

Sokka went near the little lake and sat down. He started cleaning the little wounds he had received and submerged his face in the cold water. The water was clear enough so he could see his reflection. He was a mess; all red after running for so long, some mud covering his left cheek, and so many hairs had fallen off his wolf tail. He was lucky that no one was there to see him like that. He went over to the tower and saw how it could be easily climbed by the spacing of the stones. He made his way up, only gaining a few minor scratches on his hands. When he finally reached the window that led into the tower, he let out a sigh of relief. 

Sokka took the satchel in his arms and let out a proud laugh. “Thought we would never get away! Seems like here we are safe and s-” he said as he walked in, but his words were interrupted by darkness. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Kudos and comments are very appreciated!  
> @zukkabrainrot and @fxrbxn on twitter


	4. Sunboy

Zuko stayed looking at himself for a long while. Something about the crown felt so familiar, but he couldn’t quite put his finger on it- 

“Zuko! I’m back and I have a surprise!” he heard his father yell outside the tower. Zuko panicked and quickly took the crown off his head. He went over to the satchel, stored the crown inside, and shoved it under the closet where- oh spirits, what was he gonna say? 

_ Hi, father I accidentally hit a kidnapper in the head with a frying pan and locked him in my closet?  _

_ Definitely not.  _

He decided to leave the thinking to future Zuko and grabbed the rope. He quickly put his hair up in a high ponytail, as usual, the tail falling above his hip. He threw down the rope and pulled his father up. Once his father reached the window he said, “I’m making your favorite spicy noodles for dinner, surprise!” he walked inside and took off his cloak. Zuko moved out of the way and quietly walked over to the closet. 

“Um, father, there’s something I have to tell you-” Zuko started but got interrupted. “You know how much I hate leaving after a fight, especially when I’ve done nothing wrong!” his father said as he continued to store ingredients in the kitchen as if he didn’t hear what Zuko just said.

Zuko tried to speak again. “I’ve been thinking about what you said and-” 

“Oh, please don’t tell me this is about the stupid stars again.” his father said, clearly annoyed. “Lights, floating lights.” Zuko corrected nervously. “I thought we had dropped this issue, Zuko.” His father’s voice was stern all of a sudden and Zuko’s nerves grew bigger. 

“Father, I’m just saying-” he continued as his shaking hand reached for the closet door. 

“Zuko, we’re done talking about this.” 

“But if you just-”

“Zuko.”

“Trust me-”

_ “Zuko.” _

“Please, I-”

“ENOUGH ABOUT THE SPIRIT DAMNED LIGHTS, ZUKO! YOU ARE NOT LEAVING THIS TOWER, EVER!” his father roared, and Zuko finally stopped talking. His knees were threatening to give out and his vision got blurry. The last time father raised his voice like this he- 

“Great! Now, I’m the bad guy.” his father said sorrowfully as he sat down on a chair. 

“A-All I wanted to say was that...I know what I want for my birthday now.” he mumbled as loudly as his trembling voice allowed. He looked down at the floor, not taking his eyes off it. “That- that paint you brought me from Kyoshi Island. The one made of shells?” he said a bit louder this time, making sure his father would hear. He finally looked up and saw how his father was pondering it. 

“Zuko, that's a three-day trip.” he said simply while frowning. 

“I know! I just...thought it was a better idea than the...stars.” he looked down at the floor again. His father sighed and got up, packing his bag once more.

“You’re sure you’ll be alright all on your own?” he asked as he walked over to the window.

Zuko walked over to him and nodded. He quickly put some food and a few coins in a small sack and handed it to Ozai. “Fine, I’ll see you in three days, then.” he kissed the top of Zuko’s head, took the sack, and went down the rope. 

Zuko let out a breath he didn’t know he was holding and walked over to Momo, who was looking at him with sad eyes. “I can’t give up, Momo. You know I can’t,” he said determinedly. He looked over to the closet and grabbed the rope. 

“Let’s do this.” 

* * *

* * *

Sokka woke up after feeling something cold and wet in his ear. He opened his eyes and saw two large green eyes staring back at him. He let out a yell and stumbled backwards- was he tied to a chair?? Sokka watched as a little white monkey ran somewhere inside the tower. 

“Struggling...struggling is pointless!” a masculine voice said from afar. “I know why you’re here and I’m not afraid of you!” it continued. 

“What?” he said dumbfounded. He watched as the figure grew as they got closer and closer.

“Who are you and how did you find me?” asked an orange-haired boy with a scar, who was now in front of Sokka. He had a pan with him, using it as if it was a weapon. 

He was pretty, like pretty pretty. Pale skin as if it had never seen the sunlight, and a pair of yellow eyes that looked like two suns. His hair looked somewhat magic. It was orange, but not like most gingers. No, it was almost fluorescent orange. It was tied up in a high ponytail and Sokka noticed that the boy’s hair was like...really long. Not to mention the scar that covered almost half of the boy’s face, but Sokka didn’t really pay much attention to it. 

Ok yeah, it was weird that he was tied to a chair and was getting accused of being some sort of kidnapper, but had Sokka ever lost an opportunity to flirt with someone cute?

“I know not who you are, nor how I came to find you. But may I just say... Hey…” Sokka said, trying to give the boy a charming smirk. The other boy’s face grew in confusion. “How you doing? The name’s Sokka Kuruk, how’s your day going?”

“Who else knows my localization, Sokka Kuruk?” the boy brought the pan near Sokka’s face.

“Okay, Sunboy-” he started but got interrupted by the pan softly touching his cheek. 

“Zuko.” the boy- Zuko responded, narrowing his eyes. 

“Zuko, look. I was in a situation in the forest, got chased by like 20 guards, lost my friends along the way, and came across your lovely valley!”Sokka explained until he realized that his very precious satchel was gone. 

“Oh no no no, where is my satchel?” he asked the boy- _ Tui and La, Zuko!  _

“I hid it in a place you’ll never find,” Zuko said smugly, crossing his arms. Sokka huffed and let the boy continue, totally not searching the tower for hiding places. 

“So, what are you planning to do, huh? Cut my hair? Kidnap me?” Zuko interrogated him while moving in circles, the pan still pointing at Sokka. “Why would I ever want to do something with your hair?” Why would anybody want Zuko’s hair? It was pretty, sure, but stealing it? That was just plain weird. “Look, I'm in your tower because I was being chased and needed somewhere to hide!”

“Wait, you don’t want anything with me?” Zuko asked him, confusion growing in his features. “Nope, now can I have my satchel back?” Sokka asked him. The satchel was really important, okay? It had the lost prince’s tiara! That tiara was enough to feed the gang for their whole lives. Zuko chuckled a bit before moving away. “Oh, no can do, Sokka. I have a deal for you,” he smirked and pulled a curtain on the wall open. 

It revealed a painting of what Sokka assumed to be Zuko at the mountains, looking at the lost prince lanterns. Sokka wasn’t really familiar with the kingdom’s history, but the lost prince was a hot topic. Even when Sokka and Katara still lived in the South, they heard the story of the lost prince. The details seemed ridiculous to Sokka and he just assumed it was a made up tale, like Princess Yue. “You know what these are, right?”

“Do you mean the lost prince lanterns?”

“Aha! Lanterns! I knew they weren’t stars!” Zuko’s eyes lit up and he smiled brightly. “Okay, here’s my deal.” Zuko’s face turned serious once more. “Tomorrow the lanterns will light up the sky and I want to see them up close. You will guide me, take me to the lanterns, and get me home safely afterward. Then, and only then, will I give you your satchel back.” Zuko proposed as he pointed the pan threateningly in Sokka’s direction. 

“No can do, Sunboy. You have to go to the kingdom capital to see them up close, you know that, right?” Sokka was completely sure that Zuko didn’t know this. Zuko’s eyes widened a bit and he looked panicked for a moment. He composed himself quickly and his scowl returned, “O-Of course I do! That’s exactly why I need you to act as my guide!” Zuko walked over to Sokka once more and looked at him. “I have made the decision to trust you.”

Sokka chuckled and thought, “A horrible decision, really.” Zuko’s expression fell. Oh, Sokka said that out loud, didn’t he? 

Sokka decided to ponder the deal for a moment and the more he thought about it the more dangerous it was. “Okay, let me get this straight. I take you to the capital to see the lanterns, guide you back here, and you’ll give me back my satchel?” he looked at Zuko skeptically. This deal did not seem fair. 

“You are completely right, that’s all you have to do, then I’ll give you your satchel back and we won’t see each other again.”

“Well, considering the fact I’m a wanted criminal in the kingdom, I think I might just say no to this.” Sokka snickered and closed his eyes, impressed with his handling of the situation. He was startled by the chair suddenly falling downward and opened his eyes. In front of him, Zuko looked at him with a scowl, keeping the chair up with his arm. “You can tear this tower apart, Sokka Kuruk. But without my help, you will never find that precious satchel. So, it seems to me, like you don’t have any other choice.” 

Okay, if that’s how you wanna play, Zuko. “Look, I didn’t want to use this, but you’ve left me no choice. Here comes the smolder.” Sokka did his classic, totally fool-proof smolder and looked at Zuko. 

However, Zuko just frowned at him and quite frankly, he looked a little confused. “This is kind of an off day for me, this doesn’t normally happen.” Sokka kept making that face, but no other reaction from Zuko. He didn’t have any other option. If he went to The Flying Bison empty-handed the others would definitely kill him. “If I don’t have a choice…”

“Really?!” Zuko, who was still keeping Sokka from falling, brought his hands near his chest and started jumping and laughing euphorically. When Sokka made a hurt noise after the fall Zuko stopped jumping and covered his mouth with his hands. “Oh, sorry about that.” he apologized even though he was still laughing. 

“I think you broke my smolder.”

* * *

* * *

Sokka was already halfway down the tower when Zuko finally finished packing up for the trip. His bag was filled with some leftover fruit and a hooded cloak just in case. He threw it over his left shoulder and looked down. Am I really going to do this? Father would kill me if he found out...No, I’m doing this. Momo climbed onto his shoulders and let out a chirp. “You’re right, Momo. I have to do it,” he said, determined, and threw the rope down.

Zuko tied his legs around the rope, held onto it, and let himself fall. Had his tower always been this high? Zuko ignored the panic rushing through his veins and enjoyed the moment. The wind flowed through his long hair and Momo’s paws dug into his shoulders. He stopped before touching the ground.

“That’s grass…” Zuko whispered to himself and he felt how blood rushed to every part of his body because of the excitement and he smiled so much that it hurt his cheeks. “It’s so close…” Zuko looked at Momo before gently putting his feet on the grass. “So...soft!” Zuko said before crashing onto the ground and enjoying the softness of the grass and flowers. Momo moved from his shoulder and started running toward the exit of the valley. Zuko got up and ran after him, “Momo wait for me-” he felt his feet get wet and when he looked down, he was in that lake that he always looked down at in the tower. It was way bigger than he thought. 

“Do you think that we’ll have enough time for me to swim for a bit?” he yelled to Sokka, who was still climbing down. “I don’t think so, Sunboy! Just go on, I’ll meet you outside of the valley!” Sokka yelled loud enough for Zuko to hear. Zuko and Momo looked at each other for a moment before dashing toward the valley exit. Zuko ran through the cave, careful not to stab his feet on any rocks, and pushed the vines out of the way. His eyes widened as he looked at the forest. It was...beautiful. There were birds singing, the trees moved along with the wind, and there were flowers all around. He knew at that moment that this was the right thing to do.

Sokka finally got to where Zuko was, only to find the boy collecting all kinds of flowers and putting them together. “Oh, there you are Sokka!” Zuko said as he put the flowers inside his bag and walked over to him. “I can’t believe I’m actually doing this!” Zuko said happily, but his expression suddenly fell. “I can’t believe that I’m actually doing this...”

“Why am I doing this?!” Zuko sat down, hugged his legs, and started playing with his hair. Sokka stood there, confused. “Father is going to be furious!” 

“But that’s okay! What he doesn’t know won’t kill him, right? Right?” He got up and walked in circles around an enormous tree. He started having a monologue with himself, quietly enough that Sokka couldn’t hear him. “No! This is going to totally destroy him!” he yelled out of nowhere. He cracked his fingers several times and when they couldn’t crack anymore, he started biting his nails. “I am a horrible son. I am going back.” he nodded to himself and started walking back to the cave. He grabbed his rope, but then his face illuminated with a smile. Quickly he tied it to a big branch and put his feet at the end of the rope. He walked a little away, and then he was swinging from one extreme of the tree to the other. “Oh! I am never going back!” he yelled to Sokka, as he did, fell down and got a cut on one of his feet. Zuko discretely healed it and once again, he doubted the whole trip, “Agni, I am a despicable human being.” 

After an hour or so of this, Zuko finally gave up and sat down near a rock, crying. Sokka kind of took in a lot of what Zuko’s home life must have been like from all that and formed a plan. It’s time to bring out...therapist Wang Fire. Sokka put on a fake beard he made out of leaves and walked over to Zuko. He cleared his throat and sat down next to him. “You know, I can’t help but notice you seem a bit troubled.” Zuko jumped and looked up at him. Confusion filled his face and he asked, “Are you wearing leaves on your face-” 

Sokka quickly put a finger over the boy’s mouth and went “Listen here, Zuko. My name is Wang Fire and I noticed you seem to be at war with yourself here.” Zuko looked over at Momo who was also confused and shrugged his small shoulders. 

“Though, I’ve only picked up bits and pieces. Overprotective father, sheltered life, and a forbidden road trip? This is serious stuff, dear boy!” he stated, using his fingers to count each of the things Zuko was dealing with at the moment. “But let me clear your conscience, Zuko. This is all part of growing up! A little rebellion and adventure? That’s healthy!” 

Zuko let out a sad chuckle and asked, “You think so Mr. Wang Fire?” sarcasm clear in his voice.

“I don’t think so, I know so! You are way overthinking this, Zuko!” Sokka got up and picked up Zuko’s frying pan. “So, let Sokka take you back to the tower and keep that amazing son-father mutual trust relationship and you give him back his satchel! Perfect plan!” he smirked but saw Zuko looking at him with a scowl. 

“Ha-ha, nice try, Sokka!” Zuko said as he got up and harshly took the pan away from Sokka. 

“Oh, c’mon! What’s it gonna take? I thought that would work!” he said as he took off the beard and crossed his arms. Suddenly, a bush nearby started moving. Zuko flinched, grabbed Momo, and hid behind Sokka. “Are those kidnappers, thugs, have they come for me?” he asked Sokka, panic clear in his voice. Whatever was making the bush move jumped out and Zuko let out a small scream and closed his eyes.

“Stay calm, it’s just a kitten,” Sokka said as he looked at the small, black kitten standing before them. The only startling thing about it were its golden eyes. They looked just like Zuko’s. 

Momo chirped and hid behind Sokka’s leg, meanwhile, Zuko moved over to the kitten. “It’s so small...and cute!” he put his hand over his cheeks and looked over at Sokka. “Can we keep it?” he beamed at him. Sokka thought for a second. If they needed to make a run for it, having two pets to carry would become an issue. He looked back to Zuko and saw the hope in his eyes. He didn’t have the heart to say no. 

Now, they were walking through the forest once more. Zuko carried the black kitten in his arms while Momo looked at it with envy on Zuko’s shoulder. 

“I’m sorry about getting scared before, I guess I’m a bit jumpy.” Zuko apologized suddenly. Sokka looked at him sadly for a minute before replying, “It’s totally okay, Sunboy! You haven’t been outside in a while, it makes sense that you’d be jumpy.” he grinned at Zuko, who gave a small smile in return. They continued to walk in silence and suddenly Sokka remembered he was supposed to meet the others at The Flying Bison. “Hey, Sunboy! Are you hungry? I know a great place for lunch!” 

Zuko chuckled, “What place could be deemed great by Sokka Kuruk? I am so eager to learn!” he said snarkily. “Oh, just you wait! Come on, let’s get going.” he gently grabbed Zuko’s wrist and started to guide him through the forest once more. 

* * *

* * *

Ozai was walking the usual path to the docks. He still felt incredibly irritated by what happened with Zuko. I hope this doesn’t become an issue. He stopped suddenly as he heard hooves nearby. He decided to investigate the noise, travelers being this far into the forest was already a bad sign. He was startled by the sight of 3 royal horses. No sign of the riders. 

**_Oh no._ **

Ozai put two and two together and started to run in the direction of the valley. He reached the tower and called out for Zuko,

“Zuko! Let down the rope! Now!” no response. Ozai continued for a few moments, but no rope was let down. Think fast. He ran to the closed-off entrance and started to pick apart the stone. Once the entrance was visible, he crawled in and climbed the ladder to the top of the tower. He punched the flooring that covered the exit and pushed it away. 

“Zuko!” he yelled out as he looked around. No sign of him. He tore apart curtains, bedsheets, and tables. Ozai started to breathe furiously until he noticed a glint under one of the floorboards. He broke it away and found a satchel inside. He aggressively looked inside and took out the tiara. Zuko’s tiara. 

“No, no, no, no!” he punched the floor, leaving a crack in it. He was about to leave the satchel until he noticed a paper sticking out of it. He grabbed it and looked at what looked like a wanted poster. The Blue Bandits: Wanted Dead or Alive. It was a group of 4 people. One of them being his estranged daughter, Azula.

_ “You are not getting away from me, Zuko.” _

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> As always coments and kudos are really apreciated!  
> @zukkabrainroot and @fxrbxn on Twitter


	5. The Flying Bison

After an hour or two of walking, they finally reached a clearer part of the forest. “It should be around here…” Sokka said as he squinted his eyes. He perked up as soon as he saw The Flying Bison billboard. He pulled Zuko by his wrist once more, earning a small shriek from the black kitten sitting on the other boy’s arms. “There it is! The Flying Bison! The best bakery in all of Moeruhi!” he said proudly. 

The Flying Bison was a small and quaint bakery, situated by a large oak tree. At the entrance sat a small billboard, sporting a white bison with large brown stripes. Not only was it the most popular bakery on the path toward the capital, but it was also the self-proclaimed headquarters of The Blue Bandits. Sokka was just hoping that Suki, Toph, and Azula all made it out okay. 

“It’s small and quiet, perfect for you!” Sokka said as he walked towards the building. However, Zuko stayed back, looking hesitant. 

“Are you sure this is a good idea?” he frowned, pulling the small black cat closer to his chest, his neck being hugged by Momo’s small arms.

“I’m just gonna meet some friends here, I’m sure they’ll like you!” Sokka gave Zuko a reassuring grin. Zuko was dying to find out more about the outside world, but he couldn’t risk anyone recognizing his hair.

“I’ll just wait out here,” he mumbled and sat by a tree trunk.

Sokka narrowed his eyes in concern. “Are you sure? If something happens, I won’t be able to hear it since I had the brilliant idea to make the walls extra thick.” Zuko sighed defeatedly and stood up to follow Sokka to the bakery. “I promise this will be fun!” Sokka smiled at him and Zuko grumbled as a response. As they walked, Zuko pulled out his cloak and pulled the hood on. Sokka decided not to ask and opened the door. 

The door revealed a cozy bakery; wooden tables, a big fireplace that gave the bakery all the light it needed, friendly customers, and delicious pastries on display. Katara, Aang, and Jet were by the counter, discussing something. “Looks like no one missed me!” Sokka called out to his friends. “Sokka!” they all yelled out collectively. Aang ran over and hugged him, followed by Katara and Jet. “We were worried sick, Sokka! You said you’d be back hours ago!” Katara scolded, as usual, hands on her hips. “Sorry, the plan was going well until...well..the point is we just had some..hiccups along the way,” he said nervously, scratching his neck. “And by hiccups, you mean being caught, don’t you?” Jet crossed his arms, a straw sticking out of his mouth as usual. “No! Well, yes-” he countered quickly only to be interrupted by Katara. 

“Is that person with you?” Katara asked, pointing to where Zuko was. Zuko was standing quietly by the door, hiding himself a little with his pan.

“Uh, he’s-”

“Wait, where are the others?” Aang asked nervously, not letting Sokka finish. Sokka stood there, dumbfounded. “What do you mean- they aren’t here?” he looked around the bakery frantically. The only people he could recognize were Smellerbee and Longshot, who were sitting by a small corner of the bakery. “They aren’t with you? What happened?” Katara frowned at him, but it was clear she was more worried than angry. 

“Wait, let’s sit down and talk about this,” Sokka said as Katara’s scowl grew bigger. 

“Fine, you better explain quickly!” 

* * *

“Okay, it isn’t that you just don’t know where everyone is, but Toph is injured?!” Katara yelled to Sokka while handing Zuko a huge cookie and a hot chocolate.

Maybe he should have just stayed outside, now he was in the middle of some problem that Sokka had with his friends. Agni, he was starting to feel anxious about his decision to leave the tower again. The kitten’s paw suddenly patted Zuko’s arm and a calm feeling came over him. 

“You’re right, I should calm down, everything is fine,” he whispered to the kitten, who meowed at him in return. Suddenly Momo’s green eyes appeared in front of him. “And you’re also right, Momo, I should be patient.” The two animals rested quietly on Zuko’s lap. As the others paid him no attention and continued to talk, an idea popped into Zuko’s mind. A name for the kitten! 

_Okay...let’s see... ___

____

____

_How about, Dragon?_

____

____

_No, that’s stupid._

____

__

_Sun? Okay, definitely not. Father would hate that name. ___

____

____

_Dru? Wait, I got it! Druk! ___

____

____

“Hey, little one. I’m calling you Druk.” Zuko smiled softly at the small cat. 

Sokka was still explaining everything that happened to what he called The Blue Bandits. Zuko didn’t really pay attention to the details.

“So that’s how we ended up getting separated.” he finished. Having to explain all of it was clearly quite the handful for Sokka. And he didn’t even begin to explain the satchel problem.

“Wait, that means you still have the satchel, don’t you? Please tell me you do.” Jet said, pinching the bridge of his nose.

“Yeah- about that-” he started nervously looking at Zuko. “Uh...introductions! Yes!” he changed the subject to introductions, avoiding the very important satchel problem. “This is Zuko, that’s Katara,” Katara had the same ocean blue eyes and dark skin as Sokka; Zuko assumed they were siblings. She also had long brown hair, which was styled in traditional Water Tribe braids. “Aang and Jet.” Aang had light skin and a bald head, completely different from Zuko’s. He also sported big, gray eyes. Jet, on the other hand, had brown skin and dark brown eyes. Not to mention the ridiculous eyebrows and spiky hair. 

Sokka went near Zuko’s ear and whispered. “We love Jet, but he can be a little bit of an asshole, just a warning.” And then introduced Zuko to pretty much everyone in the place, but they just looked like regulars.

“Not to get ahead of ourselves, but is there a chance our new friend Zuko has the satchel?” Jet asked, his light-hearted tone not matching the glare he shot right at him. It was the kind of look that said “I’m going to kill you if Sokka says yes”.

“First of all, it’s my satchel and second...well he does kinda have it- Sokka watched both Katara and Jet go furious, Zuko flinching as a response. 

“U-Uh, can I speak before anything?” Zuko said, with a voice way higher than what he expected. 

“Go on,” Katara said and sighed, leaning back into her chair. Zuko coughed, “Well, ever since I was a kid, I wanted to see these floating lights- sorry lanterns. Well, they’re these lanterns the kingdom does for- a lost prince? The point is, I’ve also sorta- wanted to see them, and uh-” Zuko said nervously, looking at his peers’ unimpressed expressions. Well, except for Aang, who was listening intently. “We don’t need your whole life story.” Jet said, annoyance clear in his tone. 

“Jet, be nice!” Sokka scolded and signaled Zuko to continue with a reassuring smile. Sokka was quite curious himself as to why Zuko was so determined to see these lanterns, anyway. 

“R-Right, so as I was saying, it’s always been my dream to go and see them. M-More importantly, draw them? No- paint them! Up close.” Zuko fumbled with his fingers, not sure how much he should share with people who were practically strangers to him. 

__“My father never let me- go to the capital.”_ keep it simple, Zuko._ “And then Sokka appeared at my...place? We sorta made a deal-” that seemed to push Jet over the edge. He stood up from his chair and leaned into Zuko’s face. “What do you mean by “deal”?” he said with narrowed eyes. Zuko glared back at Jet, despite how terrified he actually was. Before he could say anything, Sokka stood up and put his arm in between both boys. “Okay, calm down there, buddy. Zukes here wants me to take him to the capital in exchange for the satchel. We both agreed to this.” Sokka defended quickly, sensing Zuko’s fear. 

Before Jet could argue, Aang started, “That seems fine to me! Zuko has a dream and Sokka is helping him with it! In the meantime, we should all focus on finding the others!” 

Sokka sighed in relief. Aang, the voice of peace, as always. That certainly calmed Katara down as she started to think about the others. Jet still looked at Zuko suspiciously before moving back to his chair. 

* * *

Spending the day at The Flying Bison was surprisingly calm for Zuko. Due to Jet leaving to search for the others, he didn’t need to deal with his glares.

“And this is Momo. He’s been with me for years,” he said as he introduced Momo to Aang, who looked at the lemur with focused eyes, “I wonder how he got all the way over here? You can only find lemurs where I’m from!” he said and scratched Momo’s head. 

Aang was from the Southern Air Temple and he met Katara and Sokka while they were traveling to a safer place. That’s all Zuko knew about his past anyway. Aang didn’t quite get into the details, neither did the others. Considering how secretive Zuko was being, he couldn’t blame them. 

“And who’s this little guy?” Aang beamed, pointing to Druk’s sleeping figure in one of the chairs. “That’s Druk! I just got him today, but he means a lot to me already.” Zuko gently scratched the kitten’s small head. He noticed Aang’s soft smile, thinking it was directed at his small friends. However, Aang was just glad to see Zuko loosen his shoulders and letting his wary frown fall. 

* * *

As the afternoon continued, Zuko ended up helping Katara with decorating pastries, as a thank you for the food she gave him earlier. He knew a thing or two about baking because of all the free time he had in the tower. He still remembered how he had to beg for a baking book for his 10th birthday. They didn’t talk much, as they were both focusing on putting strawberries on top of the pastries, but small talk was inevitable. 

“How did you guys even open a bakery? You’re pretty young- not that’s a bad thing! It’s admirable!” Zuko fumbled with the frosting as he tried to start a conversation. Katara chuckled, “It’s okay, people ask that a lot too. Mostly regulars who don’t really know us. After a while of being thi- part of the Blue Bandits, Aang and I decided to start leaving that life. We built up a reputation in the kingdom capital with our desserts and soon enough, we got people’s support to open the bakery! Especially from King Iroh, he really likes our cinnamon rolls.” Katara happily reminisced how she and Aang baked together and ended up falling for each other in the process. 

“Sokka was pretty shocked when we got permission to build the bakery. The people in this kingdom are really amicable, it’s actually why we all sort of settled here. We opened officially just a few months ago, but it’s already so hectic! We manage with the others’ help though-” the mention of her missing friends seemed to ruin her chatty mood. Not knowing what to do, he patted her shoulder awkwardly. Katara laughed and appreciated Zuko’s gesture. He gently pushed the strawberry basket as he retrieved his hand, one falling to the floor. 

As Zuko was crouching down to reach it, some of his hair fell in front of his face. Without noticing, he got himself up. He continued to decorate a small cupcake when Katara moved closer to him. “Oh, you have hair in front of your face-” by the time Zuko realized what she said, Katara had already seen the bright orange hair framing his face. “Your hair-” she gasped out with wide eyes. Zuko’s head started to think of all the worst-case scenarios. 

Father always told him about how hundreds of people were after him when he was just a baby, forcing them into hiding. If he were to be discovered, he would be kidnapped or worse-

Katara seemed to notice his nerves and instead of questioning further, she looked at him with a warm smile, “It’s pretty.”

Zuko blushed slightly at the compliment and mumbled a quick ‘thank you’, before leaving the kitchen. 

Katara knew that story of the lost prince fairly better than Sokka. The golden eyes, orange hair...it all fit the lost prince’s description. About the right age too; Zuko had mentioned he was turning 16. Katara couldn’t be sure, no mark on either of his cheeks. Plenty of people could have golden eyes and orange hair, right? Maybe it was just the lighting. 

* * *

As the late noon sunlight started to set into The Flying Bison, Sokka scribbled away on his maps and sketches. Most of their customers had already left; it was a tradition for the people of the kingdom to decorate their lanterns the night before the big festival. 

Sokka’s brain was exhausted from thinking of what could’ve happened to the others. Best bet, they found a place to hide and were waiting for the guard patrols to calm down. But, when did the universe ever play Sokka’s best bets? Despite Katara’s reprimands, he spent all afternoon conducting plans in case one of them got captured. 

They would most likely be taken to the heart of the kingdom. If that was the case, breaking out might be an issue. There were about 30 guards surrounding the perimeter of the prison, looking in every direction. Sokka had already mapped out what the inside could look like. He wasn’t completely sure, but with simple measurements, he could figure out something. When he did, he would find the others as fast as he could. But, Zuko was still something to counter in. Before he noticed it happening, Sokka started wanting to help Zuko see the lanterns. If you asked him, it wasn’t because of how he talked about his dream of painting them, or how soft he got whenever he was around his small friends. Totally not! Nope! Definitely not-! 

His thoughts were interrupted by Zuko sitting next to him. 

“What’s all this?” he looked at Sokka’s messy sketches and lists, spread throughout the table. Sokka noticed Momo and Druk sat on his lap, both sleeping soundly. (Aang told him their names once he and Zuko had finished talking.) 

“Just some scenarios I came up with and plans to deal with them. I don’t know what happened to Azula, Toph, or Suki, but I know we’ve got to be prepared.” He said, guilt spreading through his body. It was the first time in the afternoon he truly thought about the fact it was his fault there were so many guards chasing after them. I should’ve never gone after that dumb tiara! He glanced at Zuko and noticed how his eyes searched through the sketches. 

“You’re amazing, Sokka,” Zuko said, breathless. Sokka’s eyes widened as the boy looked at him with warm eyes. Due to their distinct color, Sokka could almost feel that warmth spreading through his body. After not getting a response, Zuko flushed and looked at his hands. “A-At planning, I mean! You’re good. At planning.” 

Sokka chuckled at the fumbling boy, “Good save. Thanks, anyway.” Sokka meant it. During his time as the self-proclaimed leader of The Blue Bandits, he didn’t really get that much appreciation for his plans. He had to admit it was nice. 

He spent the next few minutes talking to Zuko about Toph and Suki. “Tui, I haven’t even gotten to Azula! She’s kinda crazy, but that’s a good thing! Wicked talented at fighting too-” Sokka got interrupted by Jet barging into the bakery. 

Katara and Aang, who were chatting together, stood up immediately. “Did you find any sign of them?” Katara asked frantically. Jet’s mouth got thinner, “Yes, and no. The good news is that I found Suki! The bad news is that there are guards coming here!”  
The hooves coming from the horses finally reached the bakery and that seemed to take everyone out of their trance. “Wait- Sokka you need to get out of here!” Katara fumbled and ran to the kitchen. “They’re searching for you, so get your...friend or whatever he is, out of here!” Jet said, finally acknowledging Zuko. Katara returned from the kitchen and handed Sokka a bag. “Take this, try to find Toph and Azula, please,” she said pleadingly. 

“Stay out of trouble, Kuruk. I’ll keep the guards distracted along with Aang.” Jet said as he grabbed his large sword hooks. Aang’s eyes widened and he quickly added, “Yeah, don’t worry, we’ll keep them distracted!” 

“Thanks, guys,” he said, looking at his friends, knowing he was going to miss them. “Alright, time to go, Sunboy!” he said nervously as the hooves got louder, pulling Zuko’s wrist like usual and guiding him out of the bakery, Druk and Momo following after them. He noticed the guards a few feet away from them and swiftly hid behind a tree trunk, Zuko doing the same. “This is what we’re gonna do, Zukes. Grab your pets and we sneak to the forest as stealthily as we can.” Sokka instructed carefully.

“Got it.” Zuko nodded at him, he looked nervous yet determined. 

* * *

2 guards, one of them being the captain, entered The Flying Bison with a loud bang. Suki followed behind them, arms tied. “Suki-!” Aang called out, but Katara quickly put her hand over his mouth. 

“Where is Kuruk!” the captain demanded, holding up a poster of Sokka. Tui and La, his nose looked awful. 

“We don’t know what you’re talking about.” Jet stated simply, not a sign of guilt on his face. Tui, his acting skills scared Katara sometimes. Jet had always been good at lying, that quickly became an issue when he first joined The Blue Bandits. But, that was all in the past. Jet wasn’t actively causing chaos anymore and was putting his skills to good use. In all honesty, she was just glad they had one good liar on their team. She stole a glance at Aang, who looked as nervous as ever. Katara moved her eyes over to Suki. She didn’t seem too injured, just like Sokka had said. She was relieved about that, at least. 

“We know he’s here somewhere!” the captain yelled once more, moving closer to them. However, they were stopped by a muffled shout from outside, “He’s escaping through the forest with an accomplice!” 

“Go after them! I’ll go with you. You!” the captain pointed their finger at a smaller guard. “Guard the prisoner!" The captain left the bakery and got onto his horse. The guard that was left with them was small and wimpy from what they could see. Katara and Jet smirked at each other and moved over to the guard. With a few swift movements, they took him down. With the danger gone, a reunion could finally take place peacefully. 

“Suki!” Katara hugged her friend, relief filling her body. “Yeah, might wanna get me out of this first?” she held up her tied hands and Katara complied quickly. Aang suddenly came near them, worry on his face. “They’re going after Sokka and Zuko! We need to go help them!” Aang started to walk out before he was stopped by a hand on his shoulder. “Sokka can manage himself pretty well and he’s got Zuko to help him. What we need to focus on now is finding Azula and Toph.” Jet said, as he looked at Sokka’s plans, still laying on an abandoned table. 

“Wait, they haven’t come by?” Suki asked with wide eyes. 

“They haven’t and they might be in danger. We better start searching before this all gets out of hand.” Katara stated, the rest of them nodding.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> hi everyone! sorry for dying on you there for a bit haha but here's a new chapter!! I love this one so much and I hope you do too :D
> 
> also wanted to mention that andres isn't going to work on future chapters and has left the fic, unfortunately. not to worry, I'll be taking over the best I can because I love this au with my whole entire heart and want to finish this! I hope the next chapters will be just as good! -fxrbxn
> 
> kudos and comments are very appreciated <3


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